Question 1

What does an Interpreter cost?

Accepted Answer

As there are nine freelance Interpreters in SID, the fees will vary depending on the individual and the type of assignment.
A typical fee is likely to be from: Full Day £305, half day £160, short duration £130 (as per NUBSLI guidelines.) However, fee may vary depending on the nature of the job.

Travel costs, such as a train fare, mileage or car parking are usually added in addition to the fee but in some cases, may be included.
Each assignment is assessed independently. When you send a request in, the available Interpreters will answer you with their fee to allow you to decide whether you want to book the interpreter.

Question 2

How do I know if an Interpreter is registered and qualified?

Accepted Answer

All of the SID interpreters are qualified and registered with NRCPD.
We all adhere to the NRCPD’s Code of Conduct for Communication Professionals.
NRCPD exists to protect the public by regulating communication and language professionals who work with Deaf and deafblind people.
They hold Registers of Interpreters for deafblind people, lipspeakers, notetakers, Sign Language interpreters, Sign Language translators and speech to text reporters.
NRCPD registration is vital as it assures you a level of competence, accountability and insurance.
A fully qualified Interpreter is called an RSLI – Registered Sign Language Interpreter - and will carry a yellow badge, like the one below.

If you would like to check that an interpreter is NRCPD registered click here and type their name in the box that says 'check the register'

Even if you don’t book through us, please do expect Interpreters to be registered with NRCPD and ask to see their badge!

Question 3

Why might I need more than one Interpreter for my booking?

Accepted Answer

As a guide for booking 1 or 2 BSL/English interpreters, there are a number of factors to consider.
Interpreting research shows that after about 20-25 minutes of constant interpreting mistakes start to appear.
This is due to the interpreter working between 2 languages at the same time, with various complex cultural and linguistic challenges.
Due to this, most interpreting over an hour requires 2 interpreters to alternate.
The second interpreter will still be working when not actually interpreting as they will be watching out for any mis-understandings or other factors impacting the interpretation. 
Further to this, though, the setting is an important factor in how many interpreters are required.
Different settings have different impacts on how challenging the interpreting process is.
These factors could include the number of people involved in the event, the intensity of the information, acoustics, accents, scheduled breaks and much more. 
A qualified interpreter should judge the factors they have information on, ask for more information if required and learn from their previous experience of whether they need a co-worker or not.
We don’t always get it spot on as some factors can’t be predicted, but we try our best to advise people booking our services. 
The downsides to only booking 1 interpreter when 2 are required include:
An interpretation that declines in quality over time – mistakes becoming more common and also physical harm to the interpreter (RSI, problems with back, shoulders, etc).
Due to the latter issue, we reserve the right to withdraw from a booking if the correct number of interpreters are not booked.

Frequently asked questions

What does an Interpreter cost?

How do I know if an Interpreter is registered and qualified?

Why might I need more than one Interpreter for my booking?